Tag: Morality

Briefly

By Edward Fagan

Politics and public assistance

Politics, according to some politicians, should not participate in any kind of welfare activity. It should, instead, stop the very rich from paying any portion of the tax burden they are carrying.

These politicians therefore aim to gradually have the lower classes pay all of the taxes collected. All this time they are trying to win the votes of the lower classes. The lower classes we all know, cast the majority of election votes.

These politicians do all of this while they try to close down such services as Medicare, Medicaid and Planned Parenthood. These are the very social services on which their grassroots supporters happen to depend.

Politics and the other state

Many politicians who long to free society of all aspects of the welfare state, want to create the other state. This other state, the abusive state, is the utopian dream of these politicians.

In this abusive state, these politicians, their relatives, their very wealthy tax-exempted friends and business associates exist above the law. This group is free of all moral and financial accountability. Their businesses, likewise, are free of all moral, financial and environmental regulation.

Moral, social and economic justice do not exist for this type of politician. Here too, everyone else is on their own or at the mercy of the all powerful political and corporate masters. Many will need these masters’ personal patronage, from cradle to grave.

History speaks and beckons against the abusive state, but will these political and corporate masters respond as they should?

by Edward Fagan

(Briefly is a short, once-weekly feature where I look at a topic of interest.)

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By Edward Fagan

Love’s opposite is not hate, they are too similar

Love’s opposite is not hate, even though many of us think so. At first sight, the qualities of love and hate seem to be opposites of each other. The motives behind the acts of love and hate thus seem to be opposites of each other. The acts of love and hate, and their outcomes too, also seem to be opposites of each other.

Love and hate, however, are not opposites. These two qualities have too much in common to be opposites of each other. Love, to the extent of its presence in a host, draws its host to the love object. It creates a bond or link between its host and the love object. It also attaches its host to the love object, for as long as it remains present in the host.

Hate does exactly the same thing as love, and in the same way. Hate, to the extent of its presence in a host, draws its host to the hate object. It creates a bond or link between its host and the hate object. It also attaches its host to the hate object, for as long as it remains present in the host.

These two spiritual (though not necessarily religious) qualities have much in common. One would repel the host from the object rather than draw him to it if they were opposites. They are not opposites of each other, but are both opposites of another quality. I will look at this quality in the future.

Love and hate, the abstract nouns minus their acts or verb equivalents, are powerful. Medical research proves this in discovering that some persons who harbour much hate consequently develop certain disorders. Researchers also found that persons who harboured thoughts of love realized an improvement in their health.

Love’s opposite, what about motives, acts and outcomes?

Our motives determine our actions and their results. When we act out of love, our motives are always to selflessly serve and help others. When we act out of hate, our motives are to cause others harm.

The motives, and acts and their outcomes, of love and hate are, like love and hate, not opposites. The motives behind our acts of love and hate connect us to the objects of our love and hate. Our acts of love and hate, and their outcomes also link us to the objects of our love and hate.

Finally then, we can say that love and hate are not opposites. We can also say that their motives, acts, and the outcomes of their acts are also not opposites.

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By Edward Fagan

Regional integration, the good side

Regional integration can succeed among countries that are fiercely nationalistic. This is only likely to happen, however, if political union is optional for each country.

Those countries, therefore, who prefer to relinquish their sovereignty can have full integration. Those, who thus prefer not to do so, can remain sovereign independent states.

Countries participating in the integration process who remain sovereign can still benefit from, and contribute to the community. They and the community can pursue: Bilateral trade, joint development and investment ventures, and cooperation in several areas.

These areas of cooperation can include: crime and drug trafficking detection and prevention, and education and training. They can also cooperate their efforts in: disease prevention and control, and responses to shared environmental concerns. Finally, they can also work together in mutually using the sea as an economic resource.

The topics I mention in this piece are relevant to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This well-intentioned agreement involves the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Regional integration, the problems

Sovereignty is precious, we must never relinquish it. We will suffer several disadvantages if we relinquish our sovereignty to become a part of a regional super state.

These disadvantages include our having to abolish immigration processing procedures for persons from other territories in the region. We will thus have to allow them unrestricted entry into our country at all times.

They will therefore enter without having to produce any documents at all. This same unchecked and undocumented entry will apply to aircraft and seacraft entering our country from the region.

Criminals, drug dealers, money launderers, drug addicts and drugs from the region will flood our country without any trace. Other undesirable persons such as prostitutes and people with certain diseases will also do the same. These people will put our health care, social services, housing and such sectors at risks. The demographics of our country will also change permanently, and we might one day, just end up losing our country.

I can recall examples in history of a people losing their identity and country. The latter-mentioned conditions above can contribute to this unfortunate situation becoming a harsh reality.

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By Edward Fagan

Mental Health, and politicians?

Mental health and politicians provide us with an interesting topic which we can discuss for ages. We have had this topic around for quite a while. Remember when a king of the ancient Babylonian super power became mentally ill. He remained in this state for seven years, Daniel 4: 31-34. This king ruled during the period 605-562 B.C.

Politicians in this state, besides, have always provided satirists and comedians with great working material. They have also provided audiences to comedy shows with good reasons to attend them.

Should our political leaders mental state matter to us, and do we need to monitor their mental state? Yes, their mental state should matter to us, and we need to monitor it. Given these two answers we should be able to detect quite early, signs of existing or oncoming mental illness.

In the event we detect such mental illness, there is a sensible solution that addresses this problem. We can thus use this solution to remove such a person from office smoothly and efficiently.

The sensible solution I refer to above is the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It reflects the vision and foresight of the founding fathers of the U.S., even though it was ratified in 1967.

This is an awesome document and it has universal appeal and application. Other democratic countries can also adopt it to meet those needs and requirements that fall within its scope.

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By Edward Fagan

Breaking up, a few points worth noting

Breaking up in a romantic or marital relationship is often painful for one or both partners. The other partner usually sees himself or herself as suffering wrongdoing by the partner who ended the relationship. Is this, however, really the case?

Does someone deny you a right when they refuse to continue in a personal relationship with you? We commit wrongdoing when we deny someone the exercise of a right in a given situation. Do we deny someone a right when we refuse their offer to start a relationship? No we do not, because such a right does not exist.

We therefore do not grant them a right when we accept their offer to start such a relationship. Then, we also do not grant them a right to continue in such a relationship if started. We thus do not deny them a right when we terminate such a relationship if started.

We have the same moral rights within relationships as we have outside of them. In relationships, however, we grant each other privileges that we do not offer to others. These privileges are ours to give and deny as we choose to do.

When we terminate a relationship we are exercising our right to deny a privilege we granted previously. Our partner might feel bad but we are not denying them the exercise of a right. We thus are not guilty of any wrongdoing toward them.

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By Edward Fagan

Policing, a vital service

Policing is an important field. Every society requiring people to act within its laws must have a police force to ensure this happens. Society thus must highly train and properly equip its police force. This police force can then perform its duty efficiently and effectively within the law..

This police force must also employ qualified and impartial selectors. It must, additionally, use an effective selection process for screening applicants.

The police force should also select only the most suitable applicants available. They should recruit only applicants with the best possible character. Such applicants, trained by the ideal basic and continuing training programmes, will become good policemen.

Where the force practises illegal and habitual physical violence against citizens, authorities should launch an independent and impartial enquiry. Such an enquiry should also exist where the force shows signs of corruption.

The law courts should prosecute members of the force who are guilty of illegal physical acts against citizens. The courts should also prosecute those members who perform acts of corruption.

Evidence of habitual physical abuse, or habitual corruption should also prompt a review of several areas of the force. This review should look at, among other areas and people, selection and recruitment processes, and recruiters. It should also look at training and appraisal, and their methods and content.

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By Edward Fagan

“For the cause that needs assistance, against the wrongs that need resistance…”

Altered reality, a little about it

Altered Reality is a term that seems to accurately describe a certain prevailing practice. This practice, incidentally, is drawing an increasing number of followers. It also attracts a growing number of people who are always ready to spring to its defense, despite its absurdity.

In this practice, one instantly becomes the gender of one’s choice. One becomes that gender simply by declaring publicly that one is that gender. The declaration does it all. There’s no verification process, independent or otherwise, to support one’s new gender status.

Is the new gender status reversible? Yes, one can reverse it at anytime. Can one reciprocate between both genders? Yes, one may do so whenever one chooses.

Are there any plans to create a third gender in this world of altered reality? Yes, there are plans to create a few more genders. Anything is possible here. We are, however, not sure what form these will take. This is an unpredictable world so one can expect some surprises.

Altered reality, ignoring it can be costly

Just in case anyone thinks this is mere role-playing, they need to look again.

The law courts impose fines on persons who refuse to recognize altered gender reality. The courts have been doing this since 2013. Some states even offer special protection to persons of altered gender status.

Outside of the law courts, the media, other organizations and individuals castigate those who do not recognize this new reality. No wonder that comedians shun this topic in silence.

Some say altered gender persons are just playing a role or acting out a part. Others say all of the world is a stage, and everyone is a player in it. Altered gender persons, if the first statement is true, are also fulfilling the second statement. They are acting out their role on the world’s stage.

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By Edward Fagan

“For the cause that needs assistance, against the wrongs that need resistance”

Anti-science campaign

Anti-science congressmen and senators in the U.S. are increasing their campaign against climate science. They are also campaigning against government policy that aims to halt global warming. This anti-science movement, however, is not new and is traceable back to the early modern era.

Shortly after 1514 the Astronomer and Mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus published a book about the workings of our solar system. The Roman Catholic Church banned this book because it contradicted their teaching on the subject. They continued to ban it for decades after his death in 1543.

The Mathematician, Physicist and Astronomer Galileo Galilei confirmed and advocated the research findings of Copernicus. In 1633, at the end of inquisition proceedings, the Roman Catholic Church convicted him of heresy. The church placed him under house arrest until his death in 1642.

This current movement against climate science in the U.S. congress and senate is holding its inquisition against the scientists first. Hopefully, after they silence the scientists then they will destroy the regulators. Finally, they will end all regulation of the large corporations whose interests they are so fond of defending.

A the end of the day, large corporations would have destroyed our planet, our race, and they themselves. They would have carried out the perfect suicide mission, the perfect terrorist plot!

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An original essay

by Edward Fagan

Marriage ,what an institution

Marriage is a wonderful and very old institution. It is so old that some people have forgotten its origin. Some of us also never even defined it because we always knew what it was. Now, however, a movement is attempting to challenge it and the family.

During the 1980’s a movement started to demand a change to this institution that could have threatened it over time. That movement gained momentum and was about to succeed in its aim by the mid 1990’s. Then, in September of 1996 President Bill Clinton signed the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law. This bill staved off the attack until 2013 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that section 3 of the act was unconstitutional.

Section 3 of the DOMA defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It defines “spouse” as a partner in a legally recognized heterosexual marriage.

By ruling this section of the DOMA unconstitutional, the Supreme Court made same sex marital unions legal in the U.S. This ruling set a questionable precedent for marriage elsewhere.

The marital union, by its nature and functioning, is and always will be a heterosexual relationship. It is for heterosexuals only. The family also is a heterosexual only institution. It involves biological reproduction, genetics and blood connections. Its members reproduce themselves perpetually through passing on their genes.

Homosexual and lesbian relationships therefore fail to replicate the family. There is thus no such thing as a homosexual or lesbian marital relationship or family.

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By Edward Fagan

Education, and training the mind

Education in the specific sense is “Cultivation or training of the mind. Such cultivation or training which creates a certain mental set or posture from which will flow values and assumptions.”. This training, therefore, develops in us ability to reason, to be objective, and and to have a sense of values. It prepares us for life. It can also help tame the beast in us, and can help reduce crime and lawlessness.

These ideal qualities are vitally important everywhere and for all time. The formal academic curriculum is the lifeblood of education. We, thus, should never reduce it to one that merely prepares people for work. Toward this end, formal education reformers and fiscal crusaders, therefore, should look to reform vocational learning and training.

Vocational training, preparing people for work

In this regard, vocational instruction and training provide fertile ground for constant improvement and expansion. These prepare us for the world of work, which is forever growing, changing and adapting.

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Nano Poblano 2017

About Me

Writing is my favourite activity, and
I write original essays and original creative composition. I also enjoy reading the writings of others. I hope to publish a collection of essays and creative compositions, and after this, a book on one topic.